- Seller: Katie M
- Location: Miamisburg, Ohio
- Mileage: 38,000 Shown
- Chassis #: 546689
- Title Status: Missing
- Engine: 345 V8
- Transmission: Manual
The United States Forest Service has inadvertently created an interdependent bond between Forest Service Green and ruggedness. Let’s face it, on their own, light green and seafoam green don’t seem particularly woodsy, but when you see a four-by-four painted in that distinctive Forest Service Green shade, you’re ready to find the horizon, and the more two-tracks the better. When you’re driving a tough old International Travelall, it’s better still. The seller says that this ’63 model is a Forest Service truck from Wyoming; while it’s clearly a project, it’s surprisingly solid, comes with a newly rebuilt engine, and has all the parts to put it back together again. It’s located in Miamisburg, Ohio, and is being offered as a Barn Finds Exclusive.
It’s hard not to love an old International truck, tractor, Scout, whatever. But even though we may love these old Binders, it’s hard to defend their lack of rust protection from the factory; they rusted as if they were mad at the world. The seller has included several pictures showing how that is not the case with this ’63. That leaves the buyer with a few options: restore it to its original Forest Service Green glory, or reassemble it, get it back on the road, and enjoy it as it sits. A roughed-up old truck always looks as if it has a story to tell, and the romance of that is always appealing.
In 1963, the Travelall was available with a six and two V8s, 266 or 304 cubic inches. The seller, however, is including this freshly rebuilt 345 with the truck. It looks so good that you almost want to leave it on an engine stand and surround it with International Harvester memorabilia. If you do decide to reinstall it in the Travelall, it should bolt right up to the manual transmission that’s still sitting under the tunnel in the truck.
The fenders and grill are loaded into the back. At the very least, you’ll need to buy a set of tires and do some brake work to get it back on the road, once you install the engine. It also appears that some of the side glass has been used as target practice, which is too bad. Luckily, it’s flat glass, so a shop should be able to reproduce the necessary panes without too much trouble.
Being a 3/4 ton 4×4, this Travelall should be a Series 1200. Being relatively compact in length at around 190-200 inches, depending on the wheelbase, a Travelall is just a versatile vehicle. This one will be sold on a bill of sale, and it rolls and steers easily for easy loading. If you’re as smitten with Forest Service Green as you should be, be sure to make the seller an offer.
I have one of these, a 2WD model. This one has a couple of things going for it: intact rear glass (unobtanium), 4WD, and barn doors. I’d like it more if I could see all the floors, especially the front toe boards. C-series IH trucks like this rust through the cowl vents and leak into the cab, pooling water under the floor coverings. I’d want to see pictures up under the dashboard of these areas before considering this rig.
I can take more pictures if any one is interested in it, It’s got really Solid firewall and floors
Not sure if by design or by mistake by someone put expansion plugs in the ports in the lower corner of the heads where the tubes from the water pump would go. I believe if it was me I’d ditch that canister oil filter and change it to a spin on.
I used to administer government contracts for a fire apparatus manufacturer. We sold dozens of wildland apparatus to the U.S. Forest Service annually. The specific color code for their fire apparatus is Federal Standard 34350, FEDSTD595. Currently, most of their “utility” vehicles- pickups, automobiles are white.
Bought one surplus from the Forest service in 1968 to tow my Healey 100-6 race car. Carried a ton of spare parts in the back, had room for all the guys and that old 345 motor was solid. Had the stump puller 1st gear and dual heaters setup for the guys working in the cold. Crossing the border at Blaine going up to Westwood, the customs guys made us unload and inventory all our spare parts to be sure we weren’t selling them in Canada.
USFS vehicles to be plentiful when USNPs close down …. next week …
I grew up on a farm and I learned how to drive in a 63 Travelall similar to this but mine was a 2wd with a six cylinder. Used to go camping with my buddies and jumping terraces in it for fun. I wish mine had this beautiful 345 V8. And it was a PITA to change the oil with that cannister oil filter. I’ve heard it’s possible to get engine parts for these IH engines but takes some work. Seems like someone succeeded rebuilding this one.
Getting parts for IH engines isn’t difficult, but it’s not as easy as walking into Advance and having all the parts for a SBC in stock. You just have to dig a little deeper. IH V8’s were in every school bus and dump truck from the 60’s to the 80’s. I’d frankly be more concerned about parts for the IH 6 at this point.
My first car was one of these things in the same color. I bought it for 150 bucks in Arizona, so no rust, but not in pristine condition.
The most annoying thing about it — apart from the fact that it needed a lot of maintenance — was that every time you bought a part for it, it would turn out to be the wrong part. Apparently International went with the cheapest supplier, so there were several different alternators, water pumps, etc., depending on who was the low bidder on that batch. The auto parts guy had a book he looked up part numbers in, based on your VIN.
We had a lot of fun in that old truck, but I’m not sure I want another one — it’s not at the top of page one on the wish list.
A missing title, and in Ohio. Not a good combination.